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The primary objective of this study is to determine whether Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation (PTNS), a minimally invasive, simple, cost effective, and outpatient treatment of patients with urinary incontinence, can also be used to treat fecal incontinence. Specifically, the primary endpoint of this study is to determine, in a randomized controlled patient blinded study, whether PTNS decrease the episodes of fecal incontinence by 50% in the patients treated with PTNS when compared to placebo as documented by a 2 week patient bowel diary after treatment.

The investigators secondary endpoints will consist of measurements of the impact of PTNS on the severity of incontinence (defined as a decrease in the mean Fecal Incontinence Severity Index (FISI) score ), as well as on the patient quality of life factors related to fecal incontinence (defined as a decrease in the mean Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life (FIQoL) scale).

Fecal Incontinence Severity Index (FISI) is a tool used to stratify severity of fecal incontinence in the subjects. The range of score is from 0 to 61 where the higher score correlates with more severe symptoms of incontinence.

The Fecal incontinence Quality of Life (FIQoL) score evaluates how fecal incontinence impacts the subjects quality of life. The scale ranges from 37 to 159 where the higher the score, the better the quality of life associated with symptoms.

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Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Yes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

18 years or older

Able to provide informed consent

Has severe fecal incontinence (defined as weekly episodes of incontinence of mucus, liquid or solid stool)

Available to present for weekly treatments

Available for follow-up at 3, 6, and 12 months

Exclusion Criteria:

Severe cardiopulmonary disease

Lesion of the Tibial Nerve

Use of a cardiac pacemaker or implantable defibrillator

History of inflammatory bowel disease

Active anal fissure, fistula, or abscess

Active rectal bleeding which has not been evaluated with appropriate testing, such as colonoscopy

Has a sphincter injury that needs sphincteroplasty

Wants to pursue aggressive surgical therapy with a colostomy or an artificial bowel sphincter